


Challenging the Rock, Challenging Death

by SherlockedTrekkie



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)
Genre: I believe there is, I make it purposefully unclear if there is a romantic relationship between these two in this fic, M/M, but that's really up to you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-10
Updated: 2014-09-10
Packaged: 2018-02-16 22:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2287109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockedTrekkie/pseuds/SherlockedTrekkie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Spock wasn't able to save Kirk the way he did after he fell off El Capitan in ST 5 and Kirk got hurt?</p><p>This is what happens on another shore leave. Kirk tries to climb the rock face again, and again falls and is caught by Spock. This time Bones is on shore leave too, but not on Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Challenging the Rock, Challenging Death

My heart is pounding and my head is spinning when my eyes open. I look around, eyes adjusting to the change in lighting. At least it’s not too bright. “Ugh… Where am I?”

“There is no need to worry, Captain. I believe you hit your head, but I have not yet done a thorough check,” a familiar voice answers softly.

I feel suddenly calmer and my heart rate begins to slow. “…Spock?”

“Yes, Captain?” he answers.

“Where’s McCoy… where’s Bones?” I try to sit up, but am gently pushed back down by my first officer.

“He is on shore leave, Jim, but not on this planet.” I go to sit up again. “No, Captain, you must remain in this position until I can ascertain the amount of damage inflicted by your fall.”

“Oh…” I comply with Spock’s wishes, sighing, “Wait - fall?”

“Yes. Do you not remember? You were free-climbing and fell from a great height. Of course, I caught you before you hit the ground at top speed-”

“Of course.” I make a mental note to thank Spock more thoroughly later.

“-but you still impacted with a great deal of force.” If I didn’t know better, I would swear Spock looked sad - or guilty somehow. I ignore it for the moment, racking my brain, trying hard to pull up my last memory before waking up, but it eludes me.

I go to move my left leg to a more comfortable position when I am overwhelmed with a sharp pain and cry out.

Spock reaches out towards me, “What is wrong, Jim?”

I take a few deep breaths before continuing, “What’s… what’s wrong with my leg?”

“I already told you, Captain,” Spock replies, sounding concerned, “You collided with me rather forcefully and my anti-grav boots were unable to withstand our combined weight.”

I move my left arm and gasp again. Damn, that hurts too. “That’s not the answer I was looking for, Spock.”

My friend looks momentarily startled, then regains his emotionless facade, “I have told you all I can, Captain. I would need a medical scanner to determine your precise diagnosis.”

“Fine. Where’s the nearest doctor?”

“Unknown. My communicator ceased functioning after the fall. The nearest medical center is a number of miles away and the Enterprise is in a different star system.”

“Oh… Well that’s just great,” I squeeze my eyes shut, piecing through this new information. Suddenly, it hits me, “Vulcans are able to conduct internal diagnostics on themselves, yes?”

“Yes, Captain,” Spock confirms, “In critical situations.”

“Do you know if it’s possible to do it on someone else?” I don’t know how much longer I can take this pain until I pass out. I have to get Spock to understand me as soon as possible.

“Someone else?”

“You know, through a mind-meld or something.” I wish I could sit up and slap some sense into him, but I don’t want this conversation to take any longer than it has to.

“I am not sure, Captain,” Spock says. I open my eyes again to find the vulcan staring down at me, looking pensive.

“Can you hurry up and try it? I’d like to be awake for this!”

“I apologize, Jim. I… I have never done this on a human before.”

“Just… DO IT.” Spock nods, moving his hands to their familiar spots on my face. I try to force the pain down so it will be easier for Spock to enter my mind, but it is much more difficult than I anticipated.

“Jim,” Spock says sternly, “You must open your mind to me for this to work.”

I gasp again, “I’m trying, Spock. I’m sorry.”

"My mind to your mind" I hear him mutter, "My thoughts to your thoughts." A moment later, I feel a strange peace. Our minds connect and I feel Spock soothing my pain. He begins a silent chant, “Pain is an emotion… an emotion… an emotion.” His words echo through my head until Spock removes his hand. The majority of my pain is gone - only a slight throbbing in my thigh echoes what was once almost unbearable.

“Well?” I ask, opening my eyes.

“I am unsure, Captain,” Spock says, steepling his fingers below his chin.

“What do you mean, ‘unsure’?” I’m not sure if I want to laugh or throw up.

“I need to perform a diagnostic on myself before I can endeavor to help you,” Spock pauses, shutting his eyes in preparation, “Please, Jim. It will only take a minute.”

“If you must,” I say, folding my good arm under my head as a pillow, “I’ll just… wait here then.”

Spock doesn’t reply, already far away in that mind palace of his. I figure I might as well check on myself, so long as my pain isn’t excruciating. I add that to my list of things to thank Spock for as I start by wiggling the toes on my injured side. I work my way up - ankle, knee, hip, fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder - until I finally reach my neck. All I can really tell at this point is I’m not paralyzed.  
Without warning, Spock opens his eyes again and fixes his gaze on me. “May I try again, Captain?” he asks quietly.

“You sure you’re ok, Spock?” I wish my concern wasn’t so evident. Maybe that’s what has been throwing Spock off.

“Yes, Jim,” he replies, “I, too, hit my head on impact, albeit not as hard as you. I am not functioning at full capacity. This is why I could only curb your pain rather than ascertain the details of your injury.”

“Understood,” I say, nodding, “Now, can we get this over with?”

“Absolutely, Captain.” Spock’s fingers return to the meld-points and I feel the same sudden rush of combined consciousness. Time passes - it could be seconds, minutes, hours - the throbbing in my arm and leg dies away as I feel Spock digging deeper and deeper into my mind. I concentrate on breathing evenly, letting my mind go blank.

As Spock releases my face once again, I look up at him. “You figure it out yet?”

“Yes, Jim.”

“Well?”

“You have a number of injuries on the left side of your body. Two clean breaks in your lower leg, one in the upper, 3 cracked ribs, and a hairline fracture in your elbow. I am sorry, Captain,” Spock looks away - yes, that’s definitely guilt. But why?

“Sorry for what? It’s not your fault.”

Spock seems confused again. “Yes, Captain, it is.”

I’m not sure what to make of that. “How so, Spock? I’m the one who fell off that rock to begin with.”

Spock still won’t look at me. “That is true, Captain. However, as your first officer, it is my duty to look out for you, and I failed. You hit the ground too hard and got hurt. Logically, I should take full responsibility for your injuries.”

I let out a humorless chuckle, “Listen, Spock, I fell of my own volition. It’s my responsibility and that’s that.”

Spock’s shoulders fall. “As you wish, Captain.” He turns away further, clearly upset.

I reach out my good arm to tap his shoulder, “Well, now that we know what the problem is, what are we going to do about it?”

The vulcan turns back to me. “I suggest we wait until morning, Captain. I am positive it is possible to fix my communicator, but I need light to do so.”

“Agreed.” It suddenly seems incredibly dark. How did I miss that? “I should probably get some sleep then, shouldn’t I?”

“A logical course of action, Captain. If you deem it necessary, I will stand watch.”

I have to smile at that. “No, Spock. You need to sleep too. Regain your strength and all that.”

“I admit that is an intriguing prospect.”

I see the vulcan carefully lie down beside me. “Goodnight, Spock.”

“Goodnight, Jim.”

**Author's Note:**

> I might write more chapters of this, but I'm not sure where exactly to take it. Maybe someday... But it feels finished enough for now.


End file.
